Thursday, September 30, 2010

As I mentioned in my post Tue, some people may cringe at the thought of adding oil to a face that is already prone to acne. This is a logical and justifiable concern! Yesterday, I received a few questions in the comment section of my skincare post; and I thought it would be better served if I answered them in the form of a blog post for others that may have some of the same concerns.

In addition, if you have any questions/concerns on this post, or the oil cleansing method in general; please feel free to leave them in the comment section so that we can create somewhat of a resource for others who are looking for answers as well!

Your Questions:

"Is there even any conclusive, empirical, scientific, quantifiable, peer-reviewed EVIDENCE of the effectiveness of this so called method?"

"Furthermore what are the mechanisms that render it effective? HOW DOES WASHING ONE'S ALREADY SEBUM FILLED FACE WITH OIL IMPROVE ONE'S FACIAL CONDITION!?"

"I understand the spirit with which Chidi asked the question. So, MTM: Is there evidence, other than anecdotal, regarding the effectiveness of oils to cleanse skin, esp. those of us with problem skin?"

My Response:

Oil will not exasperate your issues with acne if you are breakout prone. Sebum is a non-polar molecule which means it is unable to dissolve in polar molecules like water. This is why most facial cleansers, laundry detergent, soaps, and shampoo's are formulated with harsh surfactants like Sodium Laureth Sulfate. This is a cheap, synthetic, man-made ingredient used to remove excess oils, dirt and sebum.

When you clean your face with products that contain harsh surfactants, it strips your skin leaving it dry. As a result, your glands go into overproduction mode to make up for the lack of moisture. What you are left with is an endless cycle of dryness coupled with an overproduction of sebum.

The general rule of thumb in chemistry is that "like dissolves like". Non-polar molecules are able to dissolve in non-polar solvents. Relating this to skincare, the oil in your cleansing mixture is able to dissolve excess oil and fatty deposits that are present in the pores and hair follicles of your skin. Scientifically this is possible because sebum [in this case the solute] and the oils mentioned in the post [we'll call these the solvents] are structurally compatible.

Excess sebum is due in part to the lack of Linoleic Acid present in the hair follicles, as Linoleic Acid reduces the output of sebum. Studies show that Linoleic Acid [a fatty acid found in many of the vegetable oils referenced in the post] reduces clogged pores [microcomodones] significantly when used topically[on the skin].

I don't want to veer off into the structure of oils, so I will keep it brief and note a few key pieces of information that may be of use; Jojoba, Hazelnut, Grapeseed, Evening Primrose, Avocado, Kukui and Borage Oil [all the oils mentioned in Tuesday's post] are high in Linoleic Acid. This means that these oils are effective in regulating excess sebum, and preventing clogged pores. These oils are all high in anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties which lends to their ability to deliver enzymes that dissolves the blockage in your pores.

There are many well known, high-end brands out there that consciously formulate products with the health of your skin in mind [albeit they are very expensive]. Take Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil which is formulated with Jojoba & Avocado Oil, or DHC Cleansing Oil formulated with Olive Oil. If you would like to see peer-reviewed evidence of the benefits of cleansing with oil. Check out the reviews on both products [Shu Uemura Review + DHC Cleansing Oil Review]. You can even do a search on the right-hand section of the blog to gain real-time insight [via on-going comments] from MTM readers who started the OCM method, or Acne.Org which has a plethora of reviews on the Oil Cleansing Method.

* Let me point out that the only difference between commercial based cleansing oils and oils that you can formulate in your kitchen, is that commercial based cleansing oils are formulated with emulsifiers that bind water and oil together. This means that when water is introduced to your mixture [lets say as you are washing the product off] a stable emulsion occurs. The emulsifying ingredient does not lend any therapeutic properties to the skin, or prevent skin inflammation. In the case of cleansing oils, it eases the wash-off process. - You can spend an upwards of $25 [8oz] for a product like this, or you can make it yourself for less than a fraction of the cost with the same ingredients [minus the emulsifier].

Over the past 15 years I have collected many commercial books and reports on formulating personal care products [lame I know], and attended courses on the structure of the compounds used to create them. Over the next few months, I will try to get permission from various authors to scan and reproduce these articles on the site in hopes that it arms you with clear cut information about what's in your skincare products and how it benefits [or harms] your skin. Whether you decide to oil cleanse or cleanse using traditional methods like soap and water, we should all know how our products work for us and if there is a natural alternative to what is being offered commercially.

46 comments:

You know I was skeptical of the OCM until I started doing hot oil treatments before I shampoo my hair. I realize it works in a similar manner - oil dissolving oil, but with my scalp it was more obvious (i.e., I could see the dirt when I rinsed my hair).

I had that reaction first off too. But I tried it and love it. I think it's easy to criticize, but my motto has always been "don't knock it till you try it". I know that I was using proactive and neutrogena and all kinds of harsh products, and after using the oil, for the first time since pre teen, my face is balanced and I dont break out.

wow @ the harsh comments. i find it ironic that people can blindly follow the gospel of chemical rituals for their hair and skin, but when they come over to the natural side they want "conclusive, empirical, scientific... evidence". i'm a chemist and even empirical/scientific evidence is not enough sometimes to explain certain phenomena. but "like dissolves like" is just pure common sense and elementary level science.

I have oily skin and used to have flareups occassionally. I started using Shu Uemura cleansing oil and then switched to the OCM when I got tired of paying $36 for that cleanser.

the OCM works just as good if not better.

I was wary too, please believe, so for anyone still hesitant about it I would suggest you at least try an oil method. I have had no breakouts and I live in freaking hot texas where I sweat just walking to class and workout in the sun (causing all kinds of gunk to run from my head onto my face). the OCM works just fine and isn't harsh.

It's realllly simple when you think about it. Oil and water DO NOT mix... so when usig harsh chemicals on your face to get the oil and dirt off, your not doing your skin any favors. further more when using anything that "drys" out your face what do you think appears? Wrinkles!!So the same companys that is causing the wrinkles, are the same companys that are selling you the products to get "rid" of them. Common people think OUTSIDE of the box. You hardly ever see people in 3rd world countries with acne, and they can't afford any expensive soaps etc...ummm something to ponder :0)

So true at these harsh comments. I was one of those poeple who tried expensive commercial products promising results only to make it worst. I tried the OCM method and haven't looked back since. i still breakout from time to time when mother nature comes calling. But my skin is clearer then it ever has been. Had it not been for MTM post on OCM I'd still be uising these useless products that don't give me great results.

i read about the OCM on a few other "natural" blogs before I saw it here a few months ago. I am never going back to commercial cleansers. I have struggled with acne since I was 13 and now I'm 31. I can honestly say that just within the past couple of years I have started to accept that it just was not meant for me to have "perfect" blemish free skin, but I could help the frequency in which breakouts occur. Well since using the OCM, adjusting my diet to limiting my sugar intake, eating more fresh fruits & veggies, drinking lots of water, and staying away from shellfish because of the iodine, I have seen dramatic results. I even get compliments on my skin now! Which is something I had never experienced in my adult life. For me it has been a learning experience and I noticed that natural products and making my own potions and cleansers has been heaven sent for me. I have tried all types of expensive products, drug-store brands, dermatologists prescribed medications, etc but I LOVE making my own natural products because they actually work better than anything I have ever tried before. And knowing that what I'm putting on my skin and in my body is not going to harm me is icing on the cake. If only I had known then what I know now, I could have saved myself years of agony, lol!

MTM wasn't the first place I heard of the Oil Cleansing Method but the first blog I visited where very detailed information was provided. I asked this very question but you made me a believer as someone with very oily, acne prone skin. I've been doing Oil Cleansing for about a month and I see a HUGE difference already. I still get breakouts around my cycle time (which will be forever I'm sure), but for the most part I don't have the wild breakouts like I used to. Thank you, thank you for all the information you provide, especially on skincare.

P.S. I'm waiting on Essence.com to give you your own natural hair column : ) You need a wider platform for all your hard work and time you've put into research for us gals who like things the natural way! Keep up the good work!

In the words of the flamboyant movie critics Blane Edwards and A. Maryweather on in Living Color (the one's with the little hats and outfits), this post gets a snap in a "Z" formation! That was fantastic. You have made my day. :-D

But on a serious note, I didn't get a chance to comment on your last post. I seriously kept asking "how the heck am I gonna ADD these oils to my face?! Bleck!" Now that I'm out of the dark with your explanation, I am aware and understand the reasoning.

I am still a little hesitant, but it's def worth a shot. I am going to stock up on some goods at Whole Foods tomorrow on my day off, so I'll be grabbing a few extra items to try this out. Thanks a bunch for all you do!

Thanks for the explanation. I too wondered about this since I have oily skin, will be trying one of these oils. It's good that you fact check your material but I have to point out that online reviews do not count as "peer-reviewed evidence"That label can only be used for scientific research published in reputable journals and widely available to the scientific community. Once a study is done and a paper written, it has to be objectively reviewed by the "peers" or colleagues in a particular field before publication in a journal. It's a sort of litmus test for fact checking purposes and pointing out shortcomings in the study the authors may have overlooked. What makes the cut for publication is material that reviewers feel will contribute to a particular field.

Online reviews do not count because they are usually subjective since they are based on personal experiences. Also the conditions vary versus an experiment where for example if a group of people use grapeseed oil on oily skin, it may be setup such that they are using the same moisturiser,foundation etc. In the real world everything is mixed up, people are using the grapeseed oil with varied types and brands of moisturisers, foundations, concealers etc. In other words, there are too many variables and we cannot be sure the effect we see can be attributed only to our stimuli, in this case the grapeseed oil.

I'm in no way trying to diminishing the value of online reviews because they help us shop. I'm just explaining the term to avoid confusion in future. Hope the illustration helped to make this clearer.

Hah, I got a free sample of a peanut oil cleanser/makeup remover from Lush, because I thought putting oil on my oily skin was rubbish and wanted to prove it. To my shame I turned out to be a total convert... it feels greasy for all of a few minutes, and then my skin feels fabulous...

Hey Sue, I do the oil cleansing method with grapeseed oil or coconut oil exclusively meaning I don't use any other moisturizers, concealor or anything else on my face afterward save some eyeliner and mascara. It works fabulously for me. No moisturizer or cleansing system for oily skin has done for me what using simply oil and water has done. My skin is clear, smooth, glows and is no longer oily. So it does work for many who do it exclusively.

I have very oily and acne prone skin and decided to try the OCM method. I have been using it for 2 dayds now and can already see results. It does seem weird to use oil as a cleanser, but it's true "like dissolves like"

I used to use Dermalogica's precleanse (described by the company as "A lightweight Olive and Apricot Kernel-based cleansing oil, fortified with Kukui Nut, Borage Seed and Rice Bran oils, that gently liquefies sebum and oil-based debris from the skin’s surface." ) The OCM is just as effective and much cheaper than the $34 bottle (5.1 oz) Thanks for such great info!

I have horribly oil skin, and I mean oil oozing from every single pore in my face. Ao I thought your method was a little crazy as well, but then I tried it and now I'm hooked.It's really cleared up the little breakouts on my face, and my face feels really clean after I do the method. So thank you for your help!!!

Jeez, I don't understand how people can come at you like that. It's your blog and you're just saying what works for you, take or leave it. Why should you have to write a freaking thesis to explain yourself?! You're way nicer than I would be Nikole. Please don't let the negativity affect you, I think your blog is fabulously informative and fun...don't change a thing!!

So I remember reading your first post of skincare regarding OCM. I thought it sounded nice but I wasn't ready to try. I did however buy grapeseed oil to brighten my skin tone. I only used it as a moisturizer though. One day (yesterday in fact) I decided, "Let's try this. If it doesn't work, just go back to what you've been doing." When I first applied the oil it felt weird and almost wrong ha ha. Slowly but surely I am getting used to it. I will not give up yet. I'm just nervous about my skin getting worse before it gets better. Did that happen to anyone else?

Is this method supposed to help eliminate oil in the skin in between washing as well? Sometimes I notice that my skin is a bit oily throughout the day even after I have done the oil wash in the morning.

Thank you, Nikole, for the detailed explanation. While others may be comfortable accepting information blindly, I am always interested in the "why" behind things, and if someone presents information, it is important that he/she ready to explain the why behind their information to support it, especially if it's information being presented that folks are inclined to try/test. It doesn't matter whether it is a commercially-produced product, or homemade.

acne can be very damaging to one's self esteem so i understand the hesitation. i have heard great things about the ocm outside of your blog. i have switched from traditional medicated cleansers to african black soap. at first i didnt think it would work because it didnt have salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. but it has decreased my acne, made my skin softer, and doesnt strip like medicated cleansers. if youre afraid of the oil cleansing method (i still am a bit) then try other natural methods. don't knock it til you try it lol

Excellent. I find it... "funny" that you should in some way give a certified evidence that your tips have been universally signed by the ultraplanetary seal of official empirical absoluteness.

LOL. Just kidding.

Anyway, the only reason why I still have to try is because I have extremely hard water and for very mysterious reasons it automatically gives me acne. I am looking forward to trying the OCM, so I'm off to buy a water filter (fingers crossed)!

Ok so I have been attempting the OCM method for a while now but only noticed some good results the first few weeks of doing it. I have always had acne prone skin and havent had any good results with anything. So I have been trying to use the OCM method as well as the different powders suggested for the masks treatments.

Has anyone expereinced using all of these suggestions but still having breakouts? Am I using the wrong types of oils? Should I be using them in a certain regiment? I dont want to give up on the natural products but I need some help with these skin issues :) Thanks for ANY advice.

My goodness! With so much research out there, I had no idea people came at you like this on your blog. It's saddening and disheartening to know that as much positivity as you bring people can still be so negative. On a more positive note, I absolutely love the pic on this post. Her boots are the flyest!

You go girl! I wanted to see how you were going to go off on those 2 comments and guess what you hit it on the nail.. Thats why I like you and read your blog all the time.. You are a very intelligent, beautiful, well-rounded person.. Keep being the person you are!

The OCM method works. The particles in the oils MTM mentioned are too small to penetrate the skin. Therefore, they cannot clog your pores or cause more damage. Although, I have to warn you that if you have hard water this method or any other can be damaging. So I would suggest for you to get a filter or use purified water.

MTM is taking her time to provide detailed information on these subjects. There are plenty of resources/publications out there on skin care published by natural/holistic dermatologists. If someone says something to you that sparks an interest and you are unsure about it, Why not fact-check it? It is very simple. There are too many search engines and access to local libraries/book stores where there should be no excuses. Why not perform your own research instead of waiting for someone else to do it for you. In the time you asked her to prove her findings you could have done your own research. "Duh"

THANK YOU MTM for all the fabulous information you are providing! A lot of us appreciate it :)

I always wonder about people who are ever so ungrateful...really I am flabbergasted and a tard too sad at our state as a people. Here is a marvelous maven, taking precious time out of her schedule to impart so knowledge and all she gets are rocks thrown at her? Smell your armpits people! What is the point of learning if you are going to stick to 'what you know'. Try to find joy in stuff and not negativity all the time. This was unusually upsetting!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for everyone who commented with such kind and supportive words! I definitely APPRECIATE IT!

For those that might be experiencing any types of issues, I plan on doing a "trouble shooting-type" post this week as it can be a number of issues from the oil used to the ratio and/or if the skin is purging toxins.

i am a day late and a dollar short (as usual), but i wanted to thank you. i'm a converting naturalista, tossing any products w/ingredients unknown to google, lol. i LOVE the OCM and am really thankful for you doing the tutorial on youtube. my skin & hair get quickly accustomed to any ritual so i incorporate an all-natural sandalwood paste mask to my face. i'm on my cycle now and i have the smallest zit i've EVER seen (usually they'll camp out all over my face, lol) you've confirmed my belief that many of us need to go back to the basics because most of what we already in our fridge can get the job done. bravo chica!!

I started using the ocm method cause of your blog. I am on my fourth week now and loving my face. I have had just one pimple since I started. I'm so happy. Thanks so much for sharing your ocm tips. I have acne prone skin and have been using a mixture of castor,grape seed, hazelnut and 3 drops of tea tree oil. It really works people u just have to find the right combo for your skin. No more over priced products for me :-)

I'm so happy that OCM has worked for everyone, but it HAS NOT worked for me. I did a mix of olive oil and castor oil. I used to get one or 2 bumps and now my skin is covered in acne. COVERED. The places where I massaged the most are now borderline cystic. This is the WORST that my skin has ever looked in my adult life. I kept going along with it thinking that it was going to clear up and give me the glowing skin that everyone else has reported, but it never came. My skin just got worse. I know that sometimes there's a purging period, but after 6 weeks, mine never stopped. I eventually stopped using the method after my boyfriend and mom asked me what happened to my skin. Like I said, I think this is a great method when it works, but when it doesn't, it's a nightmare.

Please don't see this as a diss to Moptop Maven. I love love love this blog. I just want to make sure that everyone is careful before proceeding because you can really mess up your skin and it can take a while to fix. I'm looking forward to seeing the troubleshooting post.

OK, I'll be jumping on this bandwagon. I've had oily, acne prone skin all my life so I always laugh to myself when I read about people doing this. I just assumed it was the people who already had flawless skin since I've never seen the "why" of it explained so well before.

I'm putting a lot of faith in you MTM, lol. No one wants to walk around with a pimply face so I'm hoping it works like everyone else is saying.

Im new to this blog and I love it! I work in a laboratory, and I know the importance of following instructions to the letter to get the desired result. MTM clearly stated that olive oil is too heavy for those with oily skin...so for the individual suffering from cystic acne, maybe try the grapeseed/castor oil/hazelnut oil combo. If you substitute one oil for another without knowing its different properties, its possible to get a least than desirable outcome. Im looking fwd to trying this OCM method as well as the serums with L absorbic acid and hyaluronic acid because making my own cost waay less !